Jonny Gomes, Red Sox walk-off winners again

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In what is becoming a routine occurrence at Fenway Park, the Red Sox notched their eighth walk-off victory, 2-1 over the Padres, on Jonny Gomes’ leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Gomes came to the plate as a pinch-hitter for third baseman Brandon Snyder and ripped a 2-2 pitch from Padres reliever Luke Gregerson into the front row of the Monster seats. And when he crossed the plate, after being mobbed by teammates, he struck the flexed biceps “Boston Strong” pose that was featured on a Sports Illustrated cover earlier in the season.

It was Gomes’ third pinch-hit home run and second walk-off homer of the season.

Against long odds, Gregerson had kept the game tied in the eighth inning. The Red Sox had a two-on, none-out rally against reliever Nick Vincent, but Gregerson struck out Daniel Nava, got Mike Carp to fly to center field and fanned Jarrod Saltalamacchia to send the game into the ninth inning.

That, however, is where the Red Sox have exceled this season, with eight walk-off wins in 46 home games.

Things didn’t begin particularly well for starter Jon Lester, who labored through a 32-pitch first inning in which he allowed back-to-back-to-back two-out hits, including an RBI single by Kyle Blanks. But it could’ve been worse. Lester won a six-pitch battle with Jesus Guzman, getting him to line out softly to first base and keeping the deficit at a manageable 1-0.

From there, Lester only got better. He eluded the potential danger stemming from two-out doubles by Carlos Quentin in the third inning and Yasmani Grandal in the fourth, then got Blanks to roll into a rally-killing double play with two on and none out in the sixth.

After leaving his start last Thursday night with a jammed hip, Lester didn’t exhibit any lingering health issues and finished the seventh inning for only the second time in his last seven starts, a positive sign for the purported ace, who nevertheless settled for a no-decision.

For that, Lester could thank Mike Carp. Starting for only the second time in 10 games in place of slumping Mike Napoli, the Sox’ super-sub endured a minor embarrassment in the second inning when he forgot the count after being called out on strikes and loitered in the batter’s box until being told by plate umpire Doug Eddings that he was out.

But Carp made amends in the fourth, notching a leadoff single against Padres starter Edinson Volquez and scoring the tying run from first base on Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s double that hit off the top of the Wall and bounced back past Quentin in left field.

The Red Sox had the perfect opportunity to win it in the eighth. Dustin Pedroia opened the inning with a double, but with David Ortiz striding to the plate and a lack of truly dangerous power threats behind him (too late to sign Manny Ramirez), Padres manager Bud Black ordered an intentional walk.

Gregerson wiggled his way out of Vincent’s jam, but when Black asked him to start the ninth inning, he gave up the only hit that truly mattered.Body text will go here.